L'Avenir and Writers Block in Jukes' Top 50

Matthew Jukes just published Top 50 South African wines includes two Pinotages, Flagstone Writer's Block 2006 and L'Avenir Grand Vin 2006

Matthew is author of several wine books and wine correspondent for the UK's Daily Mail national newspaper.

Of the 2006 Flagstone Pinotage he says

The most expressive Writer's Block ever has me gushing thank goodness. Seamless, hedgerow and boot polish notes bombard your palate and there isn't a touch of unwanted earthiness in sight.

L'Avenir's premium Grand Vin 2006 elicits

With almost Barolo-like, enigmatic flair, this distinguished Pinotage stalks your taste buds one by one, converting every one in its path to its cause.

In the UK Writer's Block retails at £15 and the L'Avenir Grand Vin is an eye-watering £26.

The Top 50 is on Matthew's releaunched web-site at http://www.matthewjukes.com/?p=224 athough a coding error is preventing display at the time of writing (hint, use view source)

Ses’fikile Has Arrived

Nondumiso Pikashe (pictured right) is one of the four owners of Ses’fikile. “We are a group of black women who want to change the face of wine in South Africa which is male dominated,” she told me. “We want to be brought into the mainstream of South Africa, and that is why our wine’s name is Ses’fikele because it means ‘we have arrived’".

I tasted Rainsong 2006 Pinotage. Rainsong is the branding used for Ses’fikile entry level wines; there are three tiers of wines, with Folklore in the middle and Matriarch at the top.

Ses’fikile
Rainsong Pinotage 2006
WO Swartland 14% abv

Good deep colour and a ripe rhubarb nose, and cherries and berries follow through on the palate. Soft tannins, fruity and tangy with a good finish.

Ses’fikile is a 100% black and female owned BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) project working in partnership with Flagstone Winery where the wines were made under the supervision of Bruce Jack.

Ses’fikile wines, although not the Pinotage, are available in the UK exclusive to Marks & Spencer’s, and in the Cape can be tasted and bought from Flagstone Winery tasting room.

Pink Pinotage sweeps all before it

The Pink Pinotage bandwagon sweeps all before it.

In today's Daily Telegraph (UK) there's a page of wines selected for what their wine writer Jonathan Ray calls "the capricious season that we call an English summer."

He lists four pink wines, "two still and two sparkling - that deserve a special mention with summer in mind." And half of them are Pinotages -- Flagstone's 2006 Semaphore Rosé and Simonsig's Brut Rosé NV fizz. (The Telegraoh says NV, but in fact the wine is vintage 2005, tho' the year is not very clear)

Who'd have thunk it?

Writer's Block on offer

This delicious Pinotage from Flagstone is currently available from the winery discounted by 33%. The 2004 which usually costs 149 ZAR can be had for just 98 ZAR.

Owner/winemaker Jack Bruce says of this wine "This is classic Flagstone Writer's Block - more Pinot Noir than Pinotage. Redolent, vibrant red with purple edges.

Intense, concentrated aromas of wild blueberry and ripe cherry supported by a background frame of subtle oak aromas. On the palate the wine is ripe and generous with a core of black berry, preserved plum and youngberry. Match with Springbok Loin, Ostrich with Madagascan Pepper Sauce and Char Grilled Steak with Sweet Potato Chips."

And if you want the background on how Writer's Block got its name -- the story behind that label is in my book "Marilyn Merlot and the Naked Grape." -- pictured above right with Bruce Jack.

Bath University Pinotage Tasting

Professor Keiran Molloy at the University of Bath organised a Pinotage tasting for the University Staff Wine Society. He writes " Thank you for your help on the tasting, which was extremely successful and well received. You have converted a lot of people to Pinotage, and personally I will be stocking up on the Stellenzicht, L'Avenir and Kanonkop (which was far more approachable even at this stage than I had expected)".

His notes with "an unscientific marking of each wine out of 10, which reflects relative rather than absolute merit" follow.

Southern Right 2002 - The lightest of all the wines tasted. Bright red colour, mix of red and black fruit flavours, full flavour in mouth, short on finish. An uncomplicated wine that won't disappoint but is unmemorable. No noticeable tannins so a wine for drinking now rather than keeping. (5.5/10)

Flagstone Writers Block 2002 - Mid-red colour, light tannins, sweetish red fruit flavours with a smokey finish. More body and slightly longer in the finish than Southern Right. A popular wine for immediate drinking. (7/10).

Groot Constantia Estate 2001 - Similar in colour to the Southern Right. Darker fruit flavours becoming more apparent than the earlier two wines. Full flavour in mouth but again short on finish. Earthy flavours, with smoke/tar finish. A more lively wine than the opening pair with more of a zing. By the end of the tasting, after being open for about 3h, this wine developed pronounced southern Rhône flavours becoming reminiscent of a Gigondas and far more complex in nature (6/10, based on early evening opinion)

Bellevue Estate 2000 - Deep red colour with well integrated tannins. This is a far more complex wine and would work better at this stage in its life with food. There is a hint of eucalyptus on the nose and nice mixed red/black fruit flavours. Other tasting notes suggested this was a controversial "new age" wine but that was not the opinion of the group. Good value for money as the cheapest wine in the tasting. (7/10)

Stellenzicht Golden Triangle 2000 - Deep red colour with purple hue. Obvious and yet soft tannins which are well balanced with the fruit, this is a wine which is drinking well now (perhaps better with food) but a long and exceptional future ahead of it. A long, full mouthful of plums and black fruit flavours. (7.5/10)

Neethlingshof Estate Lord Neethling 1998 - The most controversial of the wines presented. Dry tannins with less weight of fruit than the Stellenzicht. Mid-weight fruit overall, plum, blackcurrant and mulberry flavours with a slightly smokey edge. The fruit/tannin balance is not as good as Stellenzicht, and the wine has a sharp, spicey, slightly burning finish with met with divergent reaction. (7.5/10 but some much higher, some much lower )

L'Avenir Estate 2002 - The most popular of the wines tasted, drinking perfectly now but with enough soft tannins to ensure a long life. This is a very smooth wine with a hint of creamy vanilla on the nose. The flavours are of sweetish red and black fruits and there is a very long finish from this wine. Excellent. (8.5/10)

Kanonkop Estate 2001 - This wine could be described as a younger version of the L'Avenir in that it has similar characteristics but is less well evolved at this stage in its life. There is again the soft creamy flavours of oak/vanilla with loads of dark fruit flavours, but which are more hidden at this stage than for the l'Avenir. This wine became better and better with increased aeration. A wine that can be drunk with pleasure now but will be a real star in 5+ years time. (8/10)"

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What They're Saying

"The difference between Kiwi and South African Pinotage is climatic. The South African climate ripens it quicker making it more steely, but it makes ours more fruity and pinot-like. While it can be a bit too in your face, alcoholic and obviously fruity, ultimately it could be to New Zealand what Zinfandel is to California." Brenda Gould, winemaker at New Zealand's Muddy Water winery. ("WINE Gourmet Traveller" Australia Jan 04)

"The Cape vineyards also produce a variety of internationally acclaimed wines like Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the numerous exported varieties, the most popular is the Pinotage." (Mumbai NewsOnline 27/4/04)

"Who'd have thought it? South Africa's Pinotage grape is starting to produce some stylish red wines," says Joanna Simon, and she cites 2002 Flagstone Writers Block Pinotage "Everything Pinotage should be: sweet berry fruit, chocolate richness." (The Sunday Times,UK 2 May 04)

"Delheim Pinotage Rosé 2003 brimming with red berries and finishing with an invigorating kick of acidity. (Beppi Crosariol, 15 May 04, Globe & Mail Toronto)

"Funny how it took the South Africans to develop this intriguing grape variety. Imagine Pinot Noir, now blend it with Beaujolais and add just a bit of pepper. Now take two plump steaks, toss them on the charcoal and season them with herbes de Provence." (Handwritten sign next to Backsberg 1997 Pinotage in LiquorWorld wine superstore in Franklin, Massachussetts. This was the only Pinotage in less than half a dozen SA wines stocked at this large store)